Book of Names
Known Cultures: Elemental/Monstrous: Worship elemental/monstrous beings (e.g. Asherah) and their offspring. Village dwellers. Hunter-gatherers. There are known to be sentient non-human races. The existence or nature of religious practice is currently unknown. They will occasionally band together and attack remote human settlements. The world in general is also 'chock-full' of monsters of varying degrees of intelligence and ferocity. Elisians: Worship pantheon of Ophanim/Melachim. The Ophanim, the oldest and most powerful of the Melachim who are the "Sky Giants" of your mothers stories. They are giant, winged, beautiful and greatly powerful beings that are believed to bring aid, in the form of heroes in response to prayer/worship. They are also known as Grigori or 'Watchers'. It is apparently not easy to 'attract their attention', though it is claimed that they will deliver justice in cases of human sacrifice and such. El is the primary figure in the majority belief. He is neither Ophanim nor Melachim, but something else altogether and thought to be superior by those that believe in him. He is believed to have created the Melachim. There is at least one sect that follows the Pantheon, but believes El does not exist. Town and city dwellers, agrarian, possibly descendants of nomadic tribes. Celestial: Worship Sun, Moon, Stars, but also have specific deities (e.g. Nikall, Goddess of Grain). Nomadic tribes practicing animal husbandry and possibly some agriculture. Charlatanic: It is generally believed that there are various sorts of witches and magicians. Whether true or how they relate to the known cultures is unclear, but we have been told that there are people in the world with many sorts of unusual powers. We have also been told they are fakes. Some Heroes are known to use 'magic' and magical artifacts. (It is more or less the case that adherents of any one culture view the members of the other cultures as demon worshippers and 'spawn of demons', though some alliances show this not to be uniformly the case.) Known Locations/Peoples Athar: Pop. 140. A fishing village where we were born and lived until the age of 11. Worship Asherah, deity of the Oceans. Arbeh: Fishing village 2.5 weeks walk south of Athar. Asherians. Zepath: a remote town ruled by Tudiya where we lived after Athar. Founded by Zepar, who was thought to be inspired by the Ophanim Datal. Uses the Sandal as its sigil. Furthest south and closest to the sea of Pantheonic settlements. Worship El and Sky Giants. (There are 20 cities in all.) Baitel: Pop. 4000. A larger Pantheonic city. Thought to have been built by the Land Giant Labaras. Place of our Mother's origin. Primarily worship El, but has many immigrants of other beliefs. Enkidelopolis: the named site of our seaside camp. Kadmonim Nomads: wandering shepherds. Worship Sun (Ishat). Alliance with Baitel through royal marriage. Previously at war with Zepath, but no longer. Carine: large hill village next to grasslands inhabited by Kadmonim nomads. Celestial culture, but revere Nikall Goddess of Grain. Rumored to be building a wall. Eshar: A distant city mentioned in a story by Tudiya. 'Palace of Artifacts': Initially encountered in the forest between Athar and Zepath. May be roaming location? 'Dream Plane': A plane we have encountered when suffering head trauma or unconsciousness through exhaustion. Thus far manifest as beach scape, but apparently we have some control over specifics, though as of yet do not understand how. Mount Har: A holy mountain outside of Baitel where followers of El and the Pantheon believe departed souls go. Forest of Cedars: Holy grove on Mt Har. Location of Gates of Paradise. Location of Ganal. Ibleam: Two weeks east and a bit north of Zepath. Larger than Zepath. "The king of Ibleam is a fool who has long coveted our cattle and who feasts when he should be keeping the countryside quiet." -Tudiya Taanach: Two weeks north and a bit east of Zepath. "...who has been a good friend to us for many years. Both cities are larger than Zepath. They have farmers, craftsmen, herdsmen and Mighty Men, as we do." -Tudiya Zepa Stone: an monument in the desert made of the magical white stone upon which is inscribed- "I AM ZEPA. BY THESE YOU SHALL KNOW MY LINE SHALL ENDURE, FOREVER." It is located 1 week 3 days walk south of Zepath at the edge of the forest beyond the desert. There is a spring at its base. (Note: Locations 'known' to Og/Enkidel are bolded, though he may never have been there.) Personæ Dramatis Elemental/Monstrous Aherak Asherah: deity of the Ocean. Chief feature is insatiable hunger. Primary symbol is jaws of a shark. Manifests as giant shark. Adherents conduct human sacrifice twice a year at equinox. Named by The Zepa Stone as 'The Whore of Desolation'. Great Fish(Asherah's offspring): Amal: The Moonfish. Guards eggs of the other Great Fish (presumably from Asherah's Hunger) as they sail across the sky, before being hatched each night in the sea. Ninveh: Gentle Mother, Mother of Whales. Jorah's favorite. Smis: Great Lobster Father, known to protect others from Asherah. Disliked by Shushem. Yamsef: Bringer of Tides Daam: The Great Shark Keenem: The Crab Nagaal: The Blowfish Faram: The Clam Adom: The Seaweed Father Jaar: Bride of Adom Xural: Maker of Beautiful Shells Menl: Garal: Ophama: (Note: We know the attributes for all of these, but I have not found them yet, if they have been listed.) Leviathan EyeScream? An ocean dwelling being approximately the a third the size of Zepath (possibly much larger) composed of faces (eyes and teeth) of many types of beings and lots of tentacles. It was able to chase us far inland, then threw trees at us, eventually giving up, though apparently enraged. Dragoom Voehoo: Giant Dragon slain by Tudiya Quetzatl Live far to the east and south beyond the grasslands in the high mountain Spawn: Giant Minotaur slain by Tudiya The Manticore: The head of a jackal, the body of a giant lion, the neck of a snake and a tail also like a snake which shoots spears, a beast, called the Manticore. From a story by Tudiya. Ogar Aron killed an unamed Ogar during his trial. 'Sky Pantheon' El: Considered by many to be the primary figure in the Pantheon. Chief feature may be Protector. Created the Melachim, of which the Ophanim are the oldest and most powerful. Tudiya on El: "Child. Remember always that a heart filled with El is greater than any sword or dragon." "El cannot be made into any graven image or sign. He is perfect, eternal and beyond our ability to comprehend." Labaras: A Land Giant. Probably akin to Ophanim (Sky Giants). Considered to be the founder of the Kings line and founder of Baitel. Has special status "born on the 7th day of creation". He created weaving, metal working, agriculture, writing and all the arts of civilized peoples. Ophanim: (Oldest and most powerful of the Melachim.) Smattas, the patron of Justice and Law who smites evil doers and saves the innocent. The majority faith holds him as no less than El's right hand. The minority faith believe he rules his brothers and sisters in Paradise. Smattas is the favorite of Tudiya. Marnal, the patron of mercy, healing, childbirth, forgiveness and desperation, who cleans up the collateral damage caused by the battles of other Ophanim. Marnal is the favorite of your mother. Marnal is said to be both genders, as are some of the Melachim. Ophal, patron of metal working, masons, masonry, writing and unknown arts. She is popular among scribes and intellectuals and few others in Zepath but is more popular in larger cities. Ophal is the favorite of Danal's eldest sister, Rathal. Badoma, the patron of farming, fields and growing things as well as alcohol and introspection. She is the favorite of your friend, the beggar Ephat, who is rather fond of drink. Yafef, the patron of fisherman, fishing, the rivers, moon and sea who guides the moon across the night sky. Ganal, who guards the top of Mount Har and the way to Paradise and tends to those souls who climb the mountain. He is the favorite of Bareen and her followers, believed by them to have let Labaras pass living into Paradise on Mt. Har. Xuriel, the patron of artists, artistry, merry making, poetry, singing and dancing who painted the stars upon the night sky. Friend to the birds. Favored by Ishamal. Faradnu, the patron of war, combat and the struggle between mankind and monsters. Favored by Danal and Aaron. Damat, the patron of of travel, trade, commerce and exploration. It is believed in the city that he guided Zepa to the spot where Zepath was built. He is generally popular within the city but is said to be one of the lesser Ophanim. Melachim: Unamed as of yet. (Note: there are additional Ophanim and Melachim whose names we might know or could find by asking. Grigori, Melachim, Ophanim and 'Watchers' are overlapping terms, though not necessarily synonyms.) Celestial Sun: (Named Ishat by some nomads) Moon: ??? Stars: ??? Nikall: Goddess of the Grains Charlatanic The Witch Idor? Humanoid Us Og/Enkidel: Us. Og is our name from Athar. Enkidel is the name given us by Tudiya. Sometimes called Enkitzstat meaning 'Little Enkidu'. Adopted son of Tudiya. Legendary Enkidu: a heroic wildman companion to Labaras and for whom we are named. Batshiba: A temple slave who 'gentled' Enkidu. Zepa: The founder of Zepath. The common story is that he was moved to wander by Damat and the Sandal is the sigil of Zepath. He is 'the last born of the first born of the House of El. The Zepa Stone relates that he began exploring because he was denied his rightful inheritance in the 'Shadow of the Mountain' beneath Mt. Har. The Stone still seemed a bit miffed about this. According to the Stone he then casts Asherah (who is claimed to be Female) into the sea and claims the lands of Zepath by conquest for all time. Athar Sushem: Deceased. Father figure in our youth. Priest of Asherah and Elder of Athar. Probably not our biological father. Our teacher who beat us regularly. Nami: Shushem's wife and initially thought to be our mother. Jalitha: Thought to be our actual Mother. Originally from Baitel. Washed up on the shores of Athar and recovered by Shushem. May have already been pregnant with us at this point. Jorah: A beloved 'uncle' Pagam: A craftsman and hunter Bagar: A cousin who ran away never to be seen again Zepath Kings: (Descendants of Labaras. Recognizable by having six fingers and toes and being very tall. Usually long lived. Possessed of or can call on powers. Melachim?) Tudiya: King of Zepath. We are currently his slave. Danal: Son of Tudiya and our fairly constant companion in Zepath. He is 6-7 years younger than us. Barkof: Often Tudiya's second on the field of battle. Leader of the King's Mighty Men. Zepa Lineage from the Zepa Stone Tudiya, son of Adamu Adamu, son of Yangi Yangi, son of Suhlamu Suhlamu, son of Harharu Aish. Spawn of Ishat. Husband of Amalait. Father of Naftali and Benzoha. (Naftali and Benzoha are also both listed on the Stone. Pledge indicates marrying into the family.) King's Mighty Men (Heroes): Aaron son of Bagar: Rathal's son. In his 20's. Fast. 'Band of Xuriel' (Heroes): (Some retired and from elsewhere. Favor Xuriel, fond of women, wine and merriment.) Ishamal: Old. Serves as king regent in Tudiyas absence. Companion of Tudiya's father and born in Baitel. Has saved our bacon on numerous occasions. Nominal leader of this group. Edet: One of the 'Band'. Chait: Our bow trainer. Temple of Melachim (Heroes): Bareen: An older woman and High Priestess of the Temple of Melachim, though perhaps mot a Melachim herself. Some controversy and mystery surrounds her. Known to use magic and artifacts in the city to perform miracles. Other names from Obelisk: Aish of Ishat, by Pledge Belu - Rex Azarah - Fido Human: (misc.) Jalitha: Mom. Thought to be a native of Baitel. Keza: A slave who manages household affairs in Tudiya's house. Seems to consider us an animal. An adversary and irritant in the past. Treats Jalitha poorly. Naomi: A sister of Danal's. Our first love and heartbreak. Rathal: Old. Danal's oldest sister and the local school marm. Zebanetha: Old. High Priest of El. Old. May be a descendant of Labaras? Ephat: An old beggar and our flute teacher. Paebel: The freeborn child of a debtor slave who works in the temple. Dreams of adventure. Ibiranu: A retired adventurer who helps train others and who has helped instruct you to use a wooden staff. Arushevah: Captain of the House Guard for Tudiya. Humorless. Lullaya: Barkof's nephew. A bully (or at least fond of calling us 'cannibal'). We lost in single combat to him after we called his mother a Minotaur. Eriushem: A charismatic son of a merchant. Indor: A witch in Zepath. Agamemnon: a man in his early sixties with one eye, a large black bushy beard and a barrel chest. Ishamal's friend. A retired merchant. Weapons trainer. Canine, Primate, Non-human Monkey: a monkey belonging to Danal (deceased) Snarls Barkley: Our highly intelligent and loyal canine companion. (He is probably smarter than us.) according to Azzazel Snarls is possessed of the 'Sentiment'. We have a telepathic link. Danal's Endless Kennel: Many, many dogs of endless variety, size and age. Mystery Figures and Terms Mereniel: a name repeatedly mentioned in our 'dreams'. Ishamal on Mereniel when asked: "Mereniel?" Ishamal says with a tone of slight surprise. "Not a name often spoken here. Where did you hear it?", and "I do not know." "Mereniel is a font of mercy and a well of tears with no bottom." "Empathy, or perhaps, pity, given form and spirit." 'Protector': a figure in our dreams that has manifest variously as Jorah, Smis, an unknown Giant and Snarls. Azzazel: A figure Labaras met while lost in the wilderness. He has dominion of wastelands and loves goats, suffering and sorrow. He is very fond of Ishamal. At first he tempted Us and then we told him stories of Ishamal and he showed Us kindness. Further interaction revealed that Azzazel may have once been a Grigori (Watcher), but found it too boring and missed his goats. That is his account at least. He is now a/the 'Tester'. We have promised to reveal our knowledge of Azzazel to no one other than Ishamal. He was variously manifest as a dying merchant, a 13” winged being opulently dressed and a goat. Ishamal asserts that fondness for goats is true, but all the bit about loving sorrow and loss was simply part of Azzazel's act while performing as 'Tester'. Xephanim: Beings referred to by Azzazel during our test who: "will sing your praises, scrubs your toes and nails, pleasure you in ways you cannot imagine for a month..." Qorban: Referred to by the Zepa Stone. Possibly some sort of ceremony or sorcery. Known Artifacts Flute: A flute belonging to us that can play amazing music, but so far only when we are alone. Found in the Palace of Artifacts. Sandals: Sandals that allow us to walk tirelessly. Found in the Palace of Artifacts. Artifacts left at the Palace: A bowl filled with strange balls the width of your thumb, made of gold or a gold like substance. A knife made of the same material. A book made of the same material. A necklace with small beads made of some sort of blue stone. It is floating about a foot above the platform, the beads spinning slowly. A simple and unadorned cup made of a green material, filled with what may be water. A plate made of green stone with a fire atop it and no visible fuel source. A statue made of all of the other materials about a foot and a half tall. It appears to be a seated human shaped figure with a human face and wings like a bird. A bow with no string, also made of blue stone. A small statue of a winged lizard with sharp teeth, also half finished and also seemingly asleep and breathing. It is made of red stone, the back end of the statue is unfinished. A large tooth as wide as your hand. It is made of black stone. A cup of white stone adorned with images of birds on it. It is empty. Sharur: Enkidu's club. Imparts the ability to fly. The King's Chair: The chair Tudiya uses to do 'King Stuff'. Maybe imbued. Maybe just a chair. Bareen's Flaming Sword: a flaming sword. The Zepa Stone (Obelisk): this is an obelisk just beyond the desert with the names of Zepa's lineage inscribed upon it. We have signed this Stone and clasped hands with a hand that emerged. We felt a sensation in our fingers. The Stone sits atop a situational spring of imbued water. Either drinking the water(which we did) or proximity causes the Stone to recite a version of Zepa's story and the entirety of The Code of Zepa. The Stone is made of the 'god stuff' from which our Sandals, Azzazels's desert desk and art in the Forest Pavillion are made. Languages:(speculative) "Athar": the language in our village. Possibly shared with other villages. Low El: the common language in Zepath High El: Still spoken in Baitel and used by the Kings and Melachim? We have heard the following: Spoken by Ishamal when rescuing us from Asherah. Associated with lightning and flying; "EL HA ZIKARO" "SMYTHOS HA" "ELOHIM KOL HAOLOM, HA MELE" Spoken by Tudiya. Associated with a charge; "EL HA MELECH KOL HA OLAM!" Spoken by Tudiya. Invokes fire apparently: "VAYAHI OR" Azzazel translates Vayahi Or as 'let there be light' and El Ha Melech Kol Ha Olam as roughly 'El King of the World'. He noted that it was hard, and even a bit offensive to him, to try to emulate how these things are meant using only 'meat flaps'. During our manhood rite we passed out after uttering VAYAHI OR and woke to a fire. � Codes and Customs The Code of Zepa (as related by the Zepa Stone): (You shake hands with the stoney hand and you feel a prick across the edge of each of your fingers. After a moment, the hand lets go. With a sound like stone grinding upon stone, both the altar and the stone small table sink into the ground.) "These Are The Laws And Ordinances Which You Shall Keep To You And Keep Among Your People For All Generations." You shall not climb the Mountain while you still desire to live for it is the Demesne of the Dead. Yet when you tire of life and your Struggle grows too great and yet you triumph over all foes before you and perish not, then and only then, climb the Mountain and know you will not descend again. There will be no endless bondage among you and you will hold none of your brothers, fathers or sons in bondage for more than 50 years, nor the brothers, sons and fathers of your brothers, sons nor fathers. You will not drink the blood of any man, nor eat of the flesh of any man, nor roast, nor cook, nor consume it in any manner or mixture. You will not use a man, living, nor dead, nor the flesh nor the blood of any man as a sacred offering, nor a furtive offering, nor shall you use it in a Qorban for any other purpose. You will not use the flesh nor blood nor spirit of any man for sorcery for I swear unto you, it is seen by They Who Watch and JUSTICE SHALL DESCEND UPON YOU IN FIREY VENGEANCE AND WITH GREAT WRATH, FURY AND ANGER IMMOLATE YOU, YOUR OFFSPRING EVEN UNTO THE FINAL GENERATION, YOUR LAND AND ALL OF YOUR WORKS LEAVING NOT EVEN DUST. As you would do with a man who lives or one who is dead, you shall do with a Grigori, nor shall you consume their flesh, nor blood, nor use them in a Qorban, nor for sorcery, the Grigori and all others such as they. Do not lay with your mother, nor your daughters, nor their daughters, through all generations. Do no injury to any fruit bearing tree. Do not Destroy. Creation Stories: Tudiya: "In the beginning there was naught but El who dwelt in void and sat in silence. On the First Day El crafted Heaven and filled Heaven with Angels. The Angels sung the glories of El and, it was good. On the Second Day El crafted a new place. Over it was placed the sky and beneath, land and what lay between was filled with water and, it was good. On the Third day El waived His hand across the world and where it passed came plants of every sort and the creatures of the land and sea and sky and, it was good. On the Fourth day the Angels descended upon the world to slay Leviathan, Dragoom, Quetzatl, Ogar and Asharak to prepare the way for what was to come and, it was good. On the fifth day El reached into his flesh and placed a man and a woman upon the world and, it was good. On the sixth day, man covered the world and prayed to the sun and moon and stars and to the beasts of the field. On the seventh day was born Labaras and, it was good. On the eighth day Labaras turned his back upon the sun, moon, stars and beasts of the field and left the tents of his fathers to search for El and, it was good. On the ninth day, Labaras spoke with El and raised up the House of El and, it was good. On the tenth day, El rested." About the Temple of the Melachim: The split between the majority faith and the faith perhaps one in ten hold to, is simple. Bareen, the towering high priestess of the Temple of the Melachim teaches her followers that El, does not exist. When Labaras climbed the mountain he did not meet with El on the slopes and descend, but he kept climbing and entered Paradise, where he met the Ophanim and learned all of the arts of civilization from them and, magic. Bareen herself claims to have learned magic directly from one of the Ophanim. According to her, the Ophanim made the world and mankind and it is proper to worship them, directly, mostly in the same ways everyone else worships El. Worshiping El is pointless, he is not real, nor, she claims, do Labaras's descendants have any divine right to rule, she claims that Labaras's sons invented El to give them a justification to rule. She praises Labaras and vilifies his treacherous descendants, who she claims still pass down magic among themselves, hiding the secrets in their families. Og reciting to Sushem: "In the beginning, Asherah swam through the waters and His Hunger was Great as he swam through the deep. Where Asherah beat his tail the waters were deepened and where he lifted up his tail, rose land. Where he splashed water high was made the sky, stars and moon and sun. And His Hunger was Great as he swam through the deep. Where Asherah lowered his fins, came the plants of the sea and where he raised them came the plants of the land. And His Hunger was Great as he swam through the deep. Asherah cast forth his seed unto the waters and made the Great Fish and their names are Ninveh, Yamsef, Daam, Keenem, Nagaal, Faram, Smis, Adom, Jaar, Xural, Amal, Menl, Garal and Ophama. And His Hunger was Great as he swam through the deep. Asherah ate the flesh of his sons and daughters and the flesh of their sons and daughters. And His Hunger was Great as he swam through the deep. Asherah cast his seed upon the land and where it landed came our fathers. And His Hunger was Great as he swam through the deep." Tale of Enkidu as related by Ishamal: "You might recall you last asked me on the way to Zepath, 3 years past" Ishamal says "and you surely recall that once, Enkidu was a wild man, a savage man, an animal who drank at the watering holes with animals, ate where he pleased, slept when he liked and knew none of the ways of men. Labaras found Enkidu and wrestled with him... "...and when he found himself nearly matched, they became friends. Labaras went into the wilds and brought Enkidu food and then, brought him a slave from the Temple of El, to um... shall we say, gentle him. The men all laugh. You know that bit of the story. Labaras brought a temple prostitute to Enkidu and she "gentled" him by laying with him. "And off the two went on many merry and wonderful adventures and did great deeds and slew mighty beasts back when the world was young! And though Enkidu learned the ways of men, he did not truly learn death. And when his friend, not Labaras, another man, died, Enkidu wept bitter tears, yelled, pulled out his hair in clumps and mourned deeply. He found that wine had no flavor, food had no satisfaction, nor women nor any other thing for he thought that one day too he would die and could no longer enjoy life. He cursed his friend and comrade Labaras, saying "When I was a beast of the wilds, I did not know good or evil, or life or death, but I was happy! And now that I know these things, I can never be happy again!" "Enkidu went back to the wilderness" Ishamal continues "to again try to live as a beast, but found that the beasts now rejected him, for he was a man. So Enkidu wept and Enkidu went to climb Mount Har, which it was decreed no man may tread. Labaras found him upon the mountain and wrestled with him for seven days and seven nights saying that he must not climb the mountain, but Enkidu slipped from his grasp and ran ahead up the mountain. He climbed even unto the Forest of Cedars which lay on the side of the mountain, and there he found Ganal, standing in the Forest of Cedars, wherein are the gates to Paradise, where he stands guard..." "Enkidu demanded to know why men die from Ganal and how men might be made to live again. And Ganal said to him "Men die, for they are men, that is their nature and their place in things. And Enkidu rebuked him, saying that "But men learn good and evil! And sadness and joy! And it is a cruelty to let them live to short a time and then, to die! It is unjust!" And Smattas watched from beyond the gates of Paradise and was sad and silent. Marnal wept, Xuriel played not the harp and the Zephaim went silent from their songs, Ophal quieted his forge, Yafef held the moon still in the sky, Faradnu rested upon his sword to watch and Damat ceased in his travels to see what would occur. And Ganal answered Enkidu saying "Still, it is nature and the order of things." So Enkidu tried to pass by Ganal and into Paradise, some say, to retrieve those he had lost so that they may live again, some say, to seek the secrets of life and death so that men need not die and some say, to challenge the Melachim. So the stories say. Ganal barred his path and Enkidu did not descend down the mountain and was not seen again." "Yet..." Ishamal says "Yet... do not think poorly of poor Enkidu, for as he struggled with death, so do we all and as he feared for the loss of joy of all the goodly things of life, so do we all and he did many great and mighty deeds and for those, let us remember well of him!"